Carved Tribal Art

Carved wood standing female figure with projecting stomach, attached horn on top of head, and hair in form of small hand shaped copper pieces. Old glass beads...

Bambara Standing male figure with powerful shoulders, arms at sides and large feet. From Mali, Africa It is in good condition with wear, polish and erosion from traditional use, appropriate for its age, use, and medium. Scuffs and nicks here and there. Age, wear and staining inside. On vintage wood block...

Fine Kuba wood cup with incised designs similar to the famous Kuba textiles, early 20th century, from Central Africa. The woven cris cross designs that are typical of the Kuba currency...

Standing Akan Ghana female figure, early 20th century, Africa. Intense expression with large eyes. Female figure with one hand on her breast, representing p...

Carved wooden sculpture depicting a woman sacrificing holding an offering bowl, Yoruba People, Nigeria, 1940s There is a small old chip on the top, please refer to the photos. The numbers are the inventory numbers from Pennsylvania State University and Lehigh University. Exhibited: The Pennsylvania State University - Museum of Art permanent collection; The Lehigh University - Art Galleries permanent collection and the Provenance: The collection of Dr and Mrs. John E. Swanson. Dr John Swanson and his wife Marian lived from 1966 - 1981 in Lagos, Nigeria where Dr Swanson was the Advisor to the National Universities Commission and later on the Chief Planning Officer of the University Of Ibadan, Nigeria. During their time in Africa the Swansons started to collect African art. In 1973 a part of their collection, circa 120 pieces went on loan to The Pennsylvania State University Museum of Art, where they remained until 1978. In 1981 Dr Swanson passed away and his wife Marian never returned to Africa. In 1982 Mrs. Swanson lent 130 pieces to the Lehigh University Art Gallery where they remained until 1987. A few pieces were also lent to Lafayette College...

Fine Tribal Bambara cubist figurative wood door lock, early 20th century Mali, Africa great abstract figure with strong cubist stylized elegant face. The Bambara of Mali use decorated door locks sliding horizontal bar and with a removable key (missing here) to secure the doors to houses or millet granary. This door lock shows a stylized human body with strongly sculpted face and carved notch in back to hold the movable cross bar. The rectangular body is decorated with fine, geometric line...

African tribal Art Antiques Female Ibeji figure Yoruba Nigeria A Finely carved  Ibeji Figure from early 20th century, with delineated teeth and l...

Early 20th Century Native American North West Coast Eagle Comb The eagle has a frog in its claws which is “holding” a whale. Carved with classic Nort...

Akan, Ghana, shrine figure, a standing female figure with black hair and details, remains of white pigment, with arms out holding a bottle, includes custom metal base. Probably a fig...

Possibly Babanki. Circular ceremonial wood stool constructed of repeated animal heads. Original applied patina.

This very flat mask originates from the Atoni people of Timor. For the Timorese people masks portray both male and female ancestors, worn by warriors to scare off enemies or during c...

"Ndoma” Baule Portrait Mask, Ivory Coast, Circa 1930 Wood, heavy wood with deep brown-black lacquered patina. A superb old hardwood dance mask featuring an ...

A precious African Art Statue with oven balls for hair, basket weave texture on the face, and wearing a loin cloth. The brass panels are applied on ...

Early Ghost Like Kumu Mask With Kaolin Open Eyes Mouth Teeth, Congo, Africa It is in good condition with wear, polish and erosion from traditional use, appropriate for its age, use,...

This wooden statue from Siraha Salawa, a noble Nias ancestor figure from Indonesia, is a striking example of Nias artistry and cultural heritage. Carved from a single piece of wood, ...

Well used and loved Nupe carved wood stool with openwork geometric design, It is in good condition, appropriate for its age, use, and medium. Well used with deep patina, chips and ...

Mysterious Amazing, 18th century silver talismanic amulet, Amulet for mother and Newborn with image of Lilith in the center made by Jews in Persia, the top of the Amulet has an amazi...

Showing a crescent shaped headrest braced by flattened 'V' shaped supports rising from a cupped base, decorated overall with hand carved linear motifs and exhibiting an old rubbed su...

A well-loved traditional stool or seat from the Akan people of Ghana. The supports for Akan stools take many forms, they can be purely geometric or architectural with simple posts a...

An extremely rare Papua wood sculpture of a Korwar Papua New Guinea, Cendrawasih Bay, Wandammen, early 19th century Measures: Height 24 x Diameter 18 cm Finely carved in th...

Hand-carved Opon Igede Ifa or divination bowl, Yoruba People, Nigeria, early 20th Century. A Babalawo ("diviner") of the West African Yoruba people uses an Opon Igede Ifa to store th...

Hand-carved wooden Indian tribal storage chest box with hand-wrought iron hinges and straps, and handle. Early 20th century, Northern India.

A Rare and Extremely Fine South African Tsonga Prestige Staff by the ‘Baboon Master’ Depicting a Zulu elder wearing a head-ring Superb silky reddish brown patina Late 19th Century ...

Set of three vintage Zulu long wood pipes on custom metal stands, South Africa. Each on separate stand so can be arranged in multiple ways for great display...

An early to mid-20th century Toguna support post from the Dogon Tribe of Mali, on custom metal stand. This West African hand carved wooden bean was origin...

This impressive early twentieth-century stool, from the Ashanti culture in Ghana, depicts an elephant - an Ashanti symbol of power and strength. Finely carved from a heavy brown wood...

A South African two handled carved wood meat tray Zulu, 20th century Measures: Approximate 3 1/4" in. high x 10 1/2" in. long x 8 1/2" in. wide (8.2 x...

Early standing Mumuye stylized figure with crested hair and open work details. Classic rounded cubist forms that the Mumuye sculptors are known for. Nort...

Yaka Carved wood standing Janus back to back male/female divination figure DRC Congo, Africa. Male figure side with open mouth with exposed carved teeth. Female side with traces of...

An old well used Ethiopian head rest with attached oxidized silver or white metal beads and dangles. It is in good condition with wear, polish and eros...

Old carved miniature mask by the Baule of Ivory Coast, West Africa, representing a bushcow with horns (tip of one missing), dark encrusted patina from e...

Amazing and scarce JUDAICA object, we have here one of the most touching jewish objects we had for a long time, this small silver dowry box was made in Algeria in the early 19th century, it is all covered with symbols of jewish faith and of couples, the sliding lid has 2 flanking birds with hamsa (protective hand) on each side and a flower vase in the middle. one side shows two flanking lions with a tree in the middle and the other side shows again two big and two small birds with a flower bowl in the middle, front side has a key hole and next to it there is the Hebrew inscription ס״ט״" which says Siman tov or in English "a good sign" it is taken from the wedding blessing, underneath the lock there is another inscription with the name ״עזיזה בת אברהם בן חמו״ which is the name of the bride, her father and her grandfathers name. the box is full marked a lot of times with the silversmith mark, every side of the box is marked. this box was probably ordered by the grooms family to hold the jewelry they are giving to the bride as dowry, this type of objects are rare and there are just a few of them on museum collections. DOWRY (Heb. נְדֻנְיָה), the property a wife brings to her husband at marriage; the Yiddish equivalent, nadn, is from the same root. The custom of nedunyah became clearly defined and institutionalized only in the talmudic period. In biblical times, mohar (מֹהַר), whereby the groom bought his wife from her father (Gen. 24:53; Ex. 22:15–16; Hos. 3:2), was the accepted practice. It was then customary that the groom give the bride gifts, and that she bring certain property to her husband's home upon marriage: slaves, cattle, real estate, etc. (cf. Gen. 24:59–61; 29; Judg. 1:14ff.; I Kings 9:16). Evidence of the custom of nedunyah is to be found in Tobit (7:14; 8:21) and in the Assuan papyri (Cowley, Aramaic, nos. 15, 18). Gradually, mohar was superseded by the ketubbah custom according to which the husband merely assumed the responsibility of compensation to his wife in case he divorced her: he had to pay her 200 zuzim if she had been a virgin at the time of marriage, and 100 zuzim if a widow or divorcée (see *Ketubbah). By talmudic times, the institution of nedunyah was prevalent; the father gave a dowry to the bride since the daughter was excluded from paternal inheritance. Fifty zuzim (equivalent to the worth of 180 grams of silver) was the minimum amount a father was obliged to give to his daughter (Ket. 6:5). Parents usually gave much more, according to their social standing. Community funds provided the dowry for an orphan or a very poor girl (ibid.; cf. Sh. Ar., YD 251:8). In case of her father's death, the brothers of a minor girl were obliged to give her the minimum dowry, and the court estimated how much her father would have given her above the minimum dowry. The sum was then taken out of the father's estate and given to the daughter upon majority (Ket. 6:6; 68a–69b). In the absence of such an estimate, each daughter was entitled to receive one-tenth of the value of her father's estate in money, or in valuables (Yad, Ishut, 20:4–7; Sh. Ar., EH 113:4). If the father was unable or unwilling to pay the promised dowry at the betrothal ceremony, the groom could refuse to marry his bride (Ket. 13:5; Ket. 108b–109a). Insistence on exact payment of the promised dowry, however, was frowned upon by later rabbinic authorities (Rema to Sh. Ar., EH 2:1). In certain communities it was customary for the groom's father to make a dowry contribution equal to that of the bride's father (Ket. 102b). The dowry, whether given in real estate, slaves, money, or chattel was recorded in the marriage contract (the ketubbah) and in some instances one-third or one-fifth of the actual value of the dowry was added to the sum mentioned in the ketubbah. Based upon a decree enacted by *Simeon b. Shetah (first century C.E.), the Talmud ruled that the husband and his entire property were liable for compensation as stipulated in the ketubbah, either in case he died (when she collected the sum specified in the ketubbah from the heirs) or in case he divorced his wife (Ket. 82b). For the status of the dowry and the husband's rights and obligations, see below. The rabbinic enactments (Takkanot Shum) by R. Jacob *Tam and by the rabbinic synod of the communities of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz (Germany) stipulated that if a woman died...

Antique Nepalese Butter Churn Handle. Known as a Ghurra, individually carved from a single piece of wood having different geometric forms, a circle, a rec...

Atypical form with a rich high patina. Professional mounted. Provenance: Weinberg Modern.

Early carved wood antelope mask, with many vertical horns, applied glass mirrors, cowries and seeds. Old native repair to one horn. It is in good con...

Add a piece of African history to your home. This is large and evocative of ancient times and ceremonies. Weathered wood mask fragment, Bambara people, Mali, Africa, late 19th-early ...

This large, impressive nineteenth-century Ethiopian throne, from the Wollega Oromo culture, features a high, upright back-rest. An attractive cut-ou...

The stool was loved by its owner, repaired in several places with decorated metal straps. It has an openwork, tiered lattice central post and four support posts. It has the older sty...

Small sweet early Kuba Cup with refinedf face, finely carved hair, with a handle, from the DRC, Africa Finely incised hair in tight geometric form, small proj...

Blacked wood helmet mask (Gelede), large human head surmounted by a dog eating a snake which curves around the head. No perforation for attachment to costu...

Old weathered tribal squatting spring figure with hands raised in namaste position, traces of clay and incrustation, expressive carved open mouth and eyes. These were protective figu...

Early finely carved African Afikpo mask with stylized geometric abstract long face. From Nigeria close to the Cross River. From an old collection in the Southwest. Overall dimensi...

This fine Ashanti stool from Ghana, which dates to the first half of the 20th century, features an unusual motif - a bird of prey. The surface of this stool exhibits a lovely smooth,...

A good example of an African Ashanti tribal headrest. Ghana. Early to mid-twentieth century.

The supports for Akan stools take many forms, they can be purely geometric or architectural with simple posts and columns, or, as in this case, figural, wit...

Yao Shaman's Mask Guizhou Province, China Early 20th Century Wood,horse hair, printed paper, nails Size: 13 1/2" x 8" (34 x 20 cm) On a custom made metal stand. Covered inside and o...

Old Buyu male ancestral protection power figure showing good signs of genuine age w/ beautiful old color patina. Democratic Republic Congo, Africa. Mid 20th. Measures 32" h x 10" w x...

Early Incised Carved One-piece Gourd Rattle from Congo Africa. Great (unknown) stories shown including a man, snake, two rhinos, a zebra (?) crocodile and on the other side a long s...

Baule antelope-human wood old weaving heddle loom pulley. From Ivory Coast, Africa It is in good condition with wear, polish and erosion from traditional use, appropriate for its ag...

This late nineteenth-century headrest, from the Oromo culture in Ethiopia, displays a rare form. Above a triangular-shaped base, the curved, crescent-shaped neck rest features four c...

Old early Yaka slit drum, deep patina wear and polish from years of use, with original striker. From the Yaka people, Democratic Republic of Congo, early 20t...

Late 19th-early 20th century tribal guardian figure, Northwest Nepal The mere essence of a protector figure remains in this weathered fragmen...

Seated female figure on classic Akan stool holding a sword. From the Ewe people of Ghana, West Africa. Created as three separate pieces that fit together for display, figure, stool ...

Papua New Guinea, 18th-19th century L. 22.5 x W. 18 cm (approx.) Provenance: Collected by Schulze-Westrum Collection Rinck Hollnberger, Munich (purchased in the 1980s or 1990s) For a comparable skull see the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The heads of humans and of animals such as crocodiles and pigs formerly played integral roles in the ceremonial life of Papuan Gulf peoples, who considered the heads to be vessels of life-giving supernatural power. Within men’s ceremonial houses, human skulls were displayed, together with sacred images such as spirit boards or gope, by the members of each clan in a specially constructed clan shrine. However, not all heads required the death of an enemy. In some areas, heads made from wood or other materials appear to have had powers equal to actual ones. In contrast to skulls, the facial features of wood heads were sometimes depicted as they appeared in life. This example comes from the Wapo Creek area, where wood heads appear to have been used interchangeably with actual skulls. When headhunting was abolished by Australian colonial...

A Songye Male ‘Power’ Figure Open aperture to the head and stomach Fine overall patina, loss to feet Democratic Republic of Congo 19th Century Size: 23cm high - 9 ins high The ...

A Finely Carved Polynesian Maori Feather ‘Treasure Box’ and Cover With superb colour and patina Wood, haliotis (abalone) shell New Zealand Early ...

Small early Kuba Cup With Sweet Face, Fine Hair, Handle DRC, Africa Finely carved hair in tight geometric form, small projecting ears. Some damage and wear t...

Finely carved large geometric figure from the Lobi, of Ghana and Burkina Faso, dating from the early to mid-20th century. It has a large head with projecting eyes, nose and mouth cre...